jayhawker

[Wilson Gray]

I wonder whether there's any connection between the "Jayhawk" of
Kansas and the "Kahok" of Illinois. These words, though spelled
differently, are exact rhymes. OED has the former only as a
back-formation from "jayhawker" and no cite at all for "Kahok." We
probably need an Americanist to tell us.

Oh, BTW, the Kahoks were the basketball team of Collinsville, IL, High
School, whose annual custom it was to kick the crap out of my high
school's BB team. FWIW, there's also a town named "Kahokia" in the
same region of Illinois.

-Wilson Gray

On 10/3/05, Mullins, Bill <Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> Subject:      jayhawker
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> OED has 1865 for "jayhawker".
>
> More Fighting in Kansas!
> Chicago Press and Tribune (1858-1860); Feb 8, 1859; pg. 2 col 6.
> "The "posse" came across a "fellow;" they fired at him, as they said he
> "was a jayhawker." "
>


--
-Wilson Gray